The Historic District

I just did a lot of updates on my blog! If the rain will hold off the same time I am home, I will be able to get the fence done... www.mccuistonhouse.com

I hope to add updates here soon.

the back of the house looks so much better. Looks like you took on the roof too!

My friend I bought the house from tackled the roof project. He wanted a tin roof but the guys he hired said there were too many valleys for a tin roof... yeah. The original roof was cedar shake. Once I finish my restoration I plan to start saving for the next roof, which will be in the cedar shake style. If for some reason I move on before the roof is needed, at least I will have a nice little nest egg for something.

Southernlady, nice update. Having a heritage kitchen garden is a great idea. You seem to have more friends in one pic than I know in total, some were to spread the excess from your garden.

Thanks for the update on your garden. We had hoped to do more this year for food, but the best we managed was to plant a sole blueberry bush.

It's great that you have such a wonderful supportive community. I will long remember the images of folks getting that cabinetry upstairs!

I haven't been updating here as much as I've been working on my blog, but here's the kitchen porch post now in place:



This is the porch post I got for free when I purchased the bookcases/china cabinets from that salvage place. It cleaned up rather nicely. I am not sure I am happy with my color pattern, though. I think I may need to do something differently as all the trim to the house is dark green. The post seems to just get lost. What if I paint the top and bottom portion Essex Green as well?

Thoughts?

SouthernLady wrote:This is the porch post I got for free when I purchased the bookcases/china cabinets from that salvage place. It cleaned up rather nicely. I am not sure I am happy with my color pattern, though. I think I may need to do something differently as all the trim to the house is dark green. The post seems to just get lost. What if I paint the top and bottom portion Essex Green as well?

Thoughts?

I had left my notice of this post in my e-mail box because I wanted more time to think about the colors, then life happened, and then I found it again today.

Because there isn't green corner trim on the wall behind the post (as the wall is continued to the left, the wall behind the stoop isn't the edge of a bump out), it would stand to reason to paint top/bottom the green as well. It will balance better with the trim on the right. If there was trim behind, I wouldn't because then the post would stand out quite nicely as is.

However, as is, the larger areas of the post being white on white of the siding behind does sort of wash it out visually. What you will likely want to do is paint the portions that are now the green that would "touch" the green sections white to accentuate the detail. Otherwise, they will meld a bit into the larger green areas.

My

Hey, folks! I can't believe it's been three months since I've checked in to give an update. It's been a pretty busy three months for me.

Here's some of the newest progress at the ca. 1884 McCuiston House:

Ever since I was given a copy of the original front of the house before the 1940s remodel, I have been in search of a front door that was like the original one. I took the old photo to Photoshop, played with the lighting and shadows, and was able to get some of the details to have an idea of what was there. After three years of keeping my eye open, I found this beauty hiding in the foothills of Wilkes County, North Carolina:



After putting in 28 hours (on the front side alone) with a heat gun, CitraStrip, sanding, staining, sanding, staining, sanding, and staining again, plus stripping all of the original hardware and spraying with Rustoleum until I can take the pieces to be replated in copper, this is the result:

My sister and I took our annual vacation to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in October, where I picked up a few really nice pieces that aren't as likely to be found in North Carolina. I grabbed up some really nice stoneware crocks, matching candelabras (marble and brass) for the parlor mantle, and two absolutely beautiful coverlets. I believe one to date to the mid-1800s due to the colors used and the patterns (eagle and shield--very patriotic, which would be fitting for the Civil War period, methinks.) I also assume this one to be mid-1800s because of color and style. Sadly, they weren't commissioned pieces as there is no name of a maker weaved in that I have found.

Anyone have any idea about this coverlet? I have it on the bed in my guest room. It's in extremely good condition:

Southernlady, nice to see the progress, great work on the door, nice eastlake hardware and in the correct location lower on the door. Not up on American iconography but wouldn’t an eagle and shield make you a Yankees rather than a southern belle? Can’t tell you any thing on your blanket, other than I have seen a similar bird pattern on antique wall paper some were.